Frank's Place is one of the most popular entertainment complexes in Second Life. Originally starting as a formal dance and jazz club in a single island estate region, the enterprise now covers five entire regions, and offers entertainment options for many tastes, including The Galleria Mall, a fantastic and beautifully appearing shopping region where you will find all of SL's top designers, These top SL Designer stores can also be found surrounding all of the FEG Clubs. Traffic is consistently busy at the two main clubs, Franks Place Jazz and Bogart's Jazz & Shops, ranking Frank's Place Jazz the number one club for entertainment and shopping on the Grid.
The Frank's Entertainment Group presents - Frank's Elite Jazz Club, the jewel in the crown of the Franks Group's venues. The romantic ambiance and sensual sounds bring together the higher class of the community. Franks Elite Jazz Club located at Frank's Place 7 is a simply stunning castle surrounded by water and fills an entire sim. Frank's Elite is an enchanting venue that will cast its romantic spell on even the most hardened of hearts, along with the best jazz that Second Life has to offer. Join the Elite group for just L$500 and open up a whole new experience of relaxation, music and romance..
Background[]
Frank's was originally built on the Oasis Resort sim by the wonderful Nanceee and Gymmy Sinatra, and took its eponymous name from Frank Sinatra and the moods that his singing and music inspired. Modeled on the nightclubs of the Swing & Swank Era and with a formal dress code, Frank's offers their own privately streamed music. which features Forties and Fifties Standards, Big Band jazz and many of our modern day crooners. Also appearances by disc jockeys and live performers. Dance balls offered movements for couples only, in dances appropriate to the atmosphere. Hosts and hostesses attended to the guests' needs with a maitre d' at the entrance to welcome your arrival.
Popularity grew to levels where the region frequently had some 70-80 avatars present. Expansion began in 2007, with the original Oasis Resort region being renamed "Franks Place" (without the apostrophe, to observe server naming rules), and a second region was added, Franks Place 2, where a new club was built with improved amenities.
In 2008 Nanceee and Gymmy secured the services of SL builder and designer Hunter Nieuport of Nieuport General Contracting to design a new and improved Franks Place club with the concept of grandness on every scale. Upon acceptance of Nieuport's design by the Sinatras, Hunter constructed the new Franks Place on an adjoining sim that was closed to the public so the old club could continue to operate while the new one was built by Hunter Nieuport with the help of his business partners Gubatah Tigerpaw and Gimli Garzo, who together comprise Nieuport General Contracting. The new design was intended to mix the architectural styles of Golden Age Hollywood, Art Deco elegance and warm California villa styling. All the textures used in Frank's Place were custom-designed by Hunter Nieuport, including the distinctive marble dance floor and the signature art deco glass windows which were based on the design used in the Empire State Building. The old club was demolished, replaced by the formal-wear shopping mall that had previously surrounded the building. The continued popularity induced the Sinatras to add more facilities, including a members only Elite club to growing popularity. Two more sims were opened by the end of 2008.
Layout[]
Second Life map of the Franks Place regions as of May 27, 2009; white numbers correspond to regions in the article.
The Frank's Place complex consists of the following (June 2009):
Franks Place 1[]
The original Oasis Resort sim is now listed on the Map as Franks Place, and is covered with a mall of upscale fashion stores. Tenants include (among others):
- UK Couture
- Reflections by Nanceee Sinatra
- Bax Coen Design
- Phoenix Rising
- Nardcotix
- Dare 2 Bite
- Earth & Sky Designs
- Haute Style & Co.
- Image Reflections
- Babele Fashion
Franks Place 2[]
Franks Place 2 hosts more stores; but the focus is the original jazz club, now known as Frank's Place Jazz. Larger than the previous club, the new Frank's Place club was designed by Hunter Nieuport of Nieuport General Contracting. The building is textured in field stone, brick and wood, with a glass canopy ceiling, and is decorated in a modernist Art Deco form, comprised entirely of custom textures designed by Hunter Nieuport. Conversation nooks and club chairs and furnishings, designed and built by Gubatah Tigerpaw, surround the dance floor, which is backed by a large bar area. Elevated balconies offer dining animations and dishes; coasters on the various tables offer a selection of drinks.
Formal wear is required for entry, as at the earlier club; but the musical profile has broadened to include romantic ballads from more modern singers of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, as well as the standby Big Bands pieces.
Franks Place 2 is a no-fly zone.
Franks Place 3[]
This sim is usually referred to as "Sinatra Falls." It takes its name from the large cascades that form one side of the telehub area. A substantial proportion of the sim is set out as areas for quiet romantic interludes, including dancing; the venues can be reached by a teleport system or walkways. Locations include a river walk, an ice cave, campfire, etc.
Four luxury rental homes are scattered about the region. (Check rental boxes for availability and prices.)
Franks Place 4[]
The region is given over to two clubs, as well as some shopping.
Dino's 4th Dimension is named for RL singer Dean Martin. This club is set up as a standard disco, and the music is current dance tracks, hard rock, etc. The club is a no-fly zone.
Frank's The Elites is open to membership by subscription (currently L$1000/month). The dues grant members (who wear a group tag) certain privileges beyond use of the club (less crowded as a rule than Franks Place Jazz). Skyboxes are available for private use per the hour (including one arranged as a conference room); a private beach is also available. (Contact the club manager or any Frank's host for details.)
In 2009 Franks Elite moved to a new sim, Franks Place 7 and membership changed from a monthly fee of L$1000 per month to a one time fee of $500, making "The Elite" a much more open venue (But still not as crowded as the main Jazz club).
The Chateaux, the current full-sim castle that houses Franks Elite Jazz was designed and built by Hunter Nieuport of Nieuport General Contracting. Originally, the castle was designed as a private residence for William Zeta (of Sphynx Jazz Club fame), and was based on the architecture of the Chateau d'Chenonceaux in France. Many of the custom textures created by Hunter Nieuport were derived from photographs of the actual castle, and others feature period French ceramic tile, fine woods, antique Persian rugs, medieval tapestries, and gilded moulding work. The castle was made available for the use of Franks Elite Jazz by arrangement with Hunter Nieuport, and is the only copy extant in Second Life that is open to the public as the original is still housed on a private sim.
General[]
Donation boxes are located at the various club venues. Donations go to pay tier fee on the land and other expenses (salary, etc.) When disc jockeys are present, tip jars are available for gratuities.
Due to the guest load at the main clubs, lag can be a problem. Avatars are advised to use the standard solutions for combating the problem as much as possible.
All Frank's sims are no-rezz zones, and no weapons or combat play are allowed. Violators are subject to the usual actions for violations of the local rules or TOS.
Franks The Elites and Franks Place Jazz Club do not allow non-human avatars to use these facilities. You may be ejected and banned if your avatar has any "non-human" features (tails, cat ears, ect.).
External Links[]
Meet me at Frank's Place Around the Grid writes about Frank's Place
Second Life -- Frank's Place: photographs taken at the various Frank's venues. (Flickr photo group.)
- -- Harperganesvoort 07:05, 27 May 2009 (UTC)